


Think a Little Harder

by star0gazer



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: 10 seconds of though on her but she's pretty good, ACTUALL TAGS!!!, And the Devil is a big shit, Cagney is best friend and father, Death!!!!!!, Depressed dice, Female Reader, I just don't get it, I mean I can read it...but ya know, I'm here to pull at your heart strings, Kinda really sad, Like, Loss of Parent(s), Multi, Now I know this ain't an xreader, Original Character(s), Rape, Slow ass burn, also Taylor is Gucci, also cuphead and Mugman are dinamic duo, and just a big gangbang of shitty feelings, angsty, anyway, but it'll be cute and sad so don't worry, but taylors here to fix that, but that's cause I feel somewhat uncomfortable writing in the second person, dice is precious and must be protected, elder kettle is a kind old child man, hella lot of backstory, her existence legit came out of my ass, love y'all :), maybe some sexy stuff who knows, no one likes him, now remember, oh boy would ya look at this, so dice is a soft and sad boy, so ha v e f un, so yeah mother natures in this too, swearing (if you couldn't tell), why? You ask? You'll find out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 11:55:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16017398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/star0gazer/pseuds/star0gazer
Summary: Taylor Miller, 25, 5'4, and going back home. Inkwell Isle. The only place she's come to ever really love.However. What has changed within the last decade? Who is there now? And what will she do with the Devil up her ass, two little cup brothers, and a rather attractive casino manager?





	Think a Little Harder

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to another fanfiction. Didn't think there were enough, so I decided to throw this shit out here. 
> 
> (please tell me if there are any grammar or spelling errors. Thanks)

Taylor walked down the oh-so familiar roads, smiling as the birds sang a song, one she knew by heart. After years of neglecting her return, she had finally come back to Inkwell, the one place that raised her better that her actual home.

She smiled brightly as she approached a small, wooden house. She spotted the three rocking chairs on the porch and smiled even wider as she walked to the front door. She held up her empty hand, the other one holding a box, and knocked lightly, the door suddenly swinging open to reveal a small, older kettle.

"Taylor!" He exclaimed, pulling her inside. "Come in, come in! But do be quiet, the boys are sleeping." Taylor rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch, a feeling of comfort washing over her. "So, how have you been?"

"Great! I just finished college, so that's good. And Aunt Nature sends her love." 

"Good, good, but how's your father?" Taylor sighed, her smile fading.

"Not so good. The doctors say he doesn't have long to live, but I'll go see him next month, so hopefully he'll still be around."

"Poor dear."

"It's alright, really. I'm just glad to be back." Her smile returned. 

"Yes...oh! You must be parched! Let me go make some tea!" At that, Elder Kettle waddled off into the kitchen, placing a pot on the stove. He came back seconds later, cane clacking on the ground. 

"So, how have you been?" Taylor asked, placing her bag on the ground.

"Other than the boys growing up faster than I'd expect them to, I've been fine." Taylor laughed. 

"I've really missed you." She said, hugging the kettle. 

"And I you, dear." He hugged her back. Taylor let him go and allowed him to go sit in his chair. 

"So, what's been with the boys?" About a few seconds after she said that, Taylor heard the little pitter-patter of feet coming down the stairs. "Speak of the damned Devil." She stood up, only to get tackled back down by Cuphead and Mugman, the two troublesome twins. 

"Taylor!" They screamed, hugging her tightly. They all laughed, and one of the boys cried, and Taylor...well, she felt happy.

It wasn't until after the hug that she remembered the box. Taylor grabbed it and popped it open.

"What's that?" Cuphead asked, his eyes full of curiosity. 

"Well, you two told me you wanted to see what the human world looked like, right? Well, here are some pictures." Taylor picked up one of her in Ireland. "This is one from me in college." The boys smiled. Now, Taylor wasn't all that Irish, in fact, she was Texan. She was born with the walk and the honky-tonk walk, to put it bluntly. Although, she'd have to say, that studying abroad was one of the best things she'd ever done. 

It was honestly also a surprise how she snuck it past her Aunt, Mother Nature, and her little minions. Her strict policy of "no man made objects aloud into the other worlds," hung above like a bad omen. But she did it, anyway! 

"Yes, real beautiful..." Elder Kettle grabbed a picture of Taylor and her friends on the coast of Galveston. "Beautiful sights, as well." Taylor reached into her bag upon seeing the picture. 

"And this....!" She pulled out a conch shell, seeing Elder Kettle's eyes light up. "Is for you!" She gave it to him, and he looked at it like a child would look at candy. 

"What does it do?"

"Nothing really. Although, if you hold it up to your ear, or your ear equivalent, it's said that you can hear the ocean!" He put it up to the side of his face, smiling. Elder Kettle always liked those things, the small gifts that also looked great on a shelf. 

Taylor looked down at the cup brothers, mischief in their eyes.

"If you want me to go bungee jump off a bridge, the answer is no."

"No!" Mugman giggled. "We wanna go play!" He grabbed the guests hand and dragged her out the door.

"By, Elder Kettle! If I die, make sure to write in my will that it wasn't my fault!" With that, the door closed. 

Now, Taylor though she would've remembered at least some of Inkwell, but all of it seemed so new to her. Then again, ten years can fly by real fast. Some new shops were up, the population seemed to stay relatively the same, though. 

As they continued walking, however, they came across a forest that was all too familiar. Taylor ran into the forest ant took a deep breath.

"Cagney!!!" 

Her call woke the birds, the trees, and the flower in question. The plant scurried over to her, picking her and the cup brothers up. 

"Taylor!" He smiled and hugged the small human, Taylor petting his petals. She has known this flower for years and years, making him her best friend. He placed them down on a tree branch. "So, what brings ya back to Inkwell?" 

"Well, schools done, and I need a place to live. Know that I'll be here a while." The flower smiled.

"That's great! Speaking of change, I have something to tell ya."

"Yeah?" 

"Well, it's kinda-

"Papa!" 

There it was. The one word that Taylor thought would never be correlated with Cagney, was. About five or six little flowers waddled over to their father, only to be picked up by him.

"Taylor...I'd like you to meet my children." Taylor blinked, her mouth open. They were cute little rascals, yeah, but hell! 

"Damn! It's been too long, Caggy."

"Yes, it has. And I told you to stop calling me that."

"And I told you that if you tell a human not to do something, we're gonna do it anyway!"

"Humph!"

"Bleh!" 

Their little exchange left the flowers and the cups to giggle.

"Well, the boys want to show me around Inkwell, so I'll see you around. Remember, I'll be here a while, so you can tell me everything!"

"Yes ma'am!" Cagney picked them up and placed them on the ground. "You'd best be off, good bye!"

"Buh-bye!" Taylor waved at the family, feeling happiness swell through her body. She looked back in front of her to see the boys gone, and already sprinting to the next isle. Taylor wasn't in the mood for fucking running, but someone had to keep these kids from killing themselves! 

She ran to the sugar infested isle, finding the boys balls deep in damned candy. The barbershop quartet sang in the background as Taylor looked them down.

"You won't well Elder Kettle, will ya?" 

"Give me some chocolate and I won't say shit." 

Taylor got her chocolate ant they continued.

The next isle was a little...darker, in a way. 

"What the fuck happened here?" Mugman looked up at Taylor's swear and looked around.

"This? This'd be Devils territory. Nothing ever really shines here." Taylor looked at him. The Devil? What the hell is this?

"So, you're sayin', that the Devil is an over ruling tyrant?" The cups nodded, making Taylor roll her eyes. She looked up, smelling the stench of rain in the air. It then suddenly started pouring. Did her Aunt find out?

Well, for whatever reason, they had to find shelter. 

"There!" Cuphead pointed to a tacky casino. They all hurried towards it, the bright sign written in big, neon, cursive letters, "The Devils Casino!" Maybe the boys weren't so crazy after all...

When they walked in, the two smells that hit their noses were fucking smoke and whisky. The entire place smelt like a joint. The carpets were a dark red-orange, the doors lined with plants. And the halls were littered with gambling games, sure to eat your wallet alive. 

Taylor grabbed the boys hands and pulled them over to a table, where she plopped them down on two stools. 

"Alright, understand that we are in public. So please behave, alright?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"No running, no screaming like fucking monkeys on crack, and not games, got it?" 

"What?" The boys exclaimed. "But c'mon, Taylor! Can we at least play something?!" Taylor sighed.

"We're only here until the rain clears up!" 

"Pleassseeeee????" The boys begged, making the human hold the bridge of her nose. 

"Fine! But only one game! And you both must decide on it together, got it-what the fucking hell!" They were gone, leaving Taylor to search the casino. She sighed, looking around the place.

She felt nervous, looking around at all the patrons and feeling the stares of men. Perverted. Damn, makes you feel like a real woman, don't it? She soon found the boys at the craps table, rolling and betting what seemed to be all.

"So, how's it been going?" She asked the boys, who looked greatly satisfied.

"Great! Look at what we won!" Cuphead held out a bag, filled with a generous amount of money. 

"Well, seems though you boys have it made!" A new voice sounded. Following the voice were cheers, scoffs, and others just said nothing and starred as they approached.

So, to start off, he was a fucking game die. Although, he was nicely dressed, smelt great, had a hot, baritone, voice, and didn't look to shabby for a game piece. He looked at the cash and a smile cracked across his features, one quite sinister. 

"Yeah! We've been shootin' real good, sir!" At Mugman's manners, his smile became more sincere.

"Seems that way!" He let out a laugh, one that sent a shiver down the spine of everyone in the room. 

Including Taylor's.

She grabbed Mugman's shoulder, knowing he was the reasonable one. "Do you think we should go?" She whispered to him.

"What? Well, I suppose, but, I mean, we're doin' so good!" He responded.

"Ya know, you two ain't all that good with whisperin'." Both Taylor and Mugman jumped and spun around, looking at the die man. 

"Well howdy to ya too, partner..." 

"Now, you don't look like you're from here at all." 

"Nah shit. And you don't look like an ordinary casino patron." 

"Nah shit." He laughed, trying to mimic Taylor's country accent, and it was real fucking funny. 

"Well, might as well get formalities out of the way." Taylor held out her hand, expecting to get a hand shake. "I'm Taylor." 

He took her hand and kissed the top of it, making her blush a bit. 

"King Dice. Owner of this fine casino. Pleasure, doll." 

"Same to you..." Taylor looked at Mugman, grabbing the dice out of his hands. "Okay, let's postpone our leave a bit, I wanna play, too!" She shook the dice, feeling her childhood memories come back to her. She whipped out her wallet, placing a five down on the table. Now, she knew that people don't use human currency of any kind, but she knew that an American dollar was worth more than enough to bet on. She dropped the dice on the table, luck hitting her in the face like a truck. 

"Well I'll be damned! Eleven!" King Dice cheered, the crowed cheered, and the cup brothers did a little dance. Taylor picked up the dice again, feeling more and more lucky.

Roll after roll, Taylor never got anything lower than a six, and King Dice was astonished, to say the least. Then again, that's what made him fear for the human. She might have luck on her side now, but this is a place where one can win, but never win. Some one could be rolling the dice and betting it all, feeling more alive than ever. The next second, they're either on their knees, begging to be spared, or are submitting to the Devil and his ways. 

King dice bit his lip, grabbing Taylor's shoulder and stopping her actions. "You should be careful what ya bet, doll. Remember where ya-" He stopped, and looked around. He felt the atmosphere shift, and the casino tensed up. Taylor dropped the dice, and placed her wallet back in her pocket.

Everyone looked up in unison, the cup brothers scurrying over to Taylor and King Dice, cowering in fear. The floor started to shake, the room started to spin, and the room got darker. The lights flickered, the only good light left being the tips of people's cigars. 

"Shit..." the manager swore, coughing and adjusting his clothing. "Boss!" He exclaimed, the room suddenly calming, and appearing before them, the Devil himself. "What brings ya down?" 

"You know what I want, where are they?" 

"They?" King Dice chuckled, fear in his heart and written on his face. "Sir, I assure you that-" 

"Don't fuck around with me, Dice!" The Devil boomed, making Cuphead and Mugman wince. Taylor held them, heart in her throat.

"Boss, boss! I assure you that there are no-" he felt himself get picked up off the ground. 

"What did I just say? Now, you're lucky you're still in employment you little shit!" Taylor looked up at King Dice, sighing. 

"Okay..." she whispered. "I'll pay you two back for what I'm about to do. Just trust me!" She looked up into the Devils eyes, taking a deep breath.

"We're right here!" Cuphead punched her arm, Mugman sniffled, and King Dice was dropped. Taylor jogged up to the dice man and stood him up. 

"You okay?" 

"Yeah, could've been worse, but I want you to know that you're fucked, hon." 

"Thanks, hot stuff," Taylor swallowed hard. "I'll be sure to write it in my will, along with, "it wasn't my fault." She looked back up at the Devil. "Okay, listen, I don't want any trouble!"

"You should've came here, then!" The Devil laughed, trident slamming the ground, knocking over some patrons. "Now, you three have been making it work over here, if I'm correct in saying?" 

"Y-yes sir!" Cuphead nodded shakily. "W-we haven't been beat yet!" 

"Yet, huh?" The Devil grinned. "Well, how bout I make you a deal?" The cup started to walk forward, making Taylor jump, but she couldn't move. At least it felt that way. She looked over at Mugman, who was still clutching her leg, and then to King Dice, who looked at her in a way she couldn't quite describe. Sad? Guilty? Either way, he was upset. 

"Cuphead!" Taylor managed to scream out. "Think about what you're doin'!" The cup turned around to face her, then turned back.

"Cuphead!" His brother screamed. "Please don't do it!" 

"Everything in this casino will be yours, if you roll a win." The Devil dropped the dice in the boys hands, facing him towards the craps table. Taylor managed to wiggle free of the force and ran towards him with Mugman. 

"Think about what you're doing, kid!" She begged. "Don't make a risky bet like this!" Cuphead looked brainwashed, dead, and lifeless. He, apparently, had no control. 

"You don't have to listen to her..." the Devil drawled. "Who is she to tell you what you can and can't do? C'mon, roll, and see what will happen." Cuphead dropped the dice, the sound of dice hitting the table replaying in Taylor's mind. 

"Snake eyes..." King Dice gritted his teeth. 

"Yes!" The Devil slammed his hands on the table, his forked tongue wiggling as he thought. "Now, hand it over, kid! You know what I want!" Cuphead suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Please! I'll do anything."

"Oh, you won't be alone! Your two friends are going with you!" Taylor's stomach dropped. She stood there wide eyed, the tears threatening to fall. 

Who knew? Shelter from the rain, turned into a bet on their souls

**Author's Note:**

> Nice, huh? Felt okay with it, but let me know what y'all thought! 
> 
> Love you all!!!


End file.
